Can't Stop Reading Listening

I am reading the most fantastic book right now. FANTASTIC. I can't put it down. And technically I'm not even reading it, because I have been listening to it on my iPod. I downloaded it for my road trip to Texas and haven't finished it yet, so I walk around the house listening to it with the iPod in my pocket and headphones on while my oven beeps and my cake burns and my children scream for me and the phone rings off the hook. It's that good.

It's called The Help by Kathryn Stockett. WONDERFUL. And the recording is phenomenal. It is so good, in fact, that I often forget that I'm listening to an audio book instead of watching it on TV, or, more realistically, living it. I find myself inadvertently slipping into a Southern drawl. I keep accidentally calling my children, "Chile!" (like child without the 'd') or saying "Ooooo Lordy!" out of the blue. I am craving corn bread and fried chicken like a drunk craves bourbon. Like an old Chevy craves gas. Like a.... Well, her similes are way better than mine, but you get the idea.

I can't really tell you about it; the plot is hard to explain. But it is essentially the stories of black domestic help in the 1960's in Jackson, Mississippi...with a twist. Funny, clever, touching, thoughtful, and extremely well written.

Read it. Ya'll.

Three Cups of Tea

I just read the best book I've read in several years: Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin.

I saw this book about two years ago in a book store and thought it looked intriguing. I wrote it down in my phone so I would remember to look for it at the library. But I never followed through. And I missed out on this fantastic book for two years!

It's the story of how one man sacrificed everything to bring education to girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan. An extreme mountain climber, Greg Mortensen got lost on his descent from a failed climb of K2 in Pakistan and ended up in a remote village. The village chief took him in and nursed him back to health. There Greg discovered that there were no schools anywhere in this mountainous area, and he decided to find a way to build a school there. The book goes on to tell his amazing adventures in raising money, building a bridge and then a school, and traveling to other remote and poverty-stricken areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan to bring basic education to the area, especially its girls.

It is such an inspiring tale. First of all, it points out what one person can do with some determination and hard work. He managed to build over 40 schools by the time of publication! But more importantly to me, it highlighted an area of the world I knew only a little about and demonstrated how these poor, simple Muslim people would sacrifice everything they had--the few rupies they had collected over the years, their own labor and health, land, materials, etc.--to give their children, their daughters, a chance at a better life. They're such a misunderstood people. We think of Muslims from that area as extremists and terrorists. But all of the people in the book, including some of the highest Muslim leaders in the country, hoped only for a better life for their children, peace, education, understanding, and condemned the hateful, violent behavior of a few of their countrymen.

I was so inspired by the end of this book that I was, first of all, in tears. And secondly, motivated to do something. The book said that one penny could buy a child a pencil, a dollar a month could pay for a child's education, and a dollar a day was enough to pay a teacher's salary. I spend enough to pay for all three of those things in one meal going out to eat on the weekend. It's amazing to think that that small amount of money could mean a child in Pakistan grows up loving life, believing in him or herself, and understanding the world beyond her village instead of being recruited by terrorist schools.

Anyway, read this book. It is wonderful, touching, and exciting. And it will change how you feel about the people in that part of the world who get such a bad name by a few extremists in their midst.

A Note To Jane

I just finished reading Persuasion, by Jane Austin. First time reading this, though I've read a couple of other Austin books. I have to say, I liked it. It has the classic twists and unexpected turns of an Austin book, the proper and likable characters as well as the socially awkward characters and embarrassing relations that remind me all too much of people I know. It has a nice happy ending. It was a good read. But I do have a few comments for Jane:


1) When you're writing a book of a fictional nature, feel free to choose from a wide variety of available names. You're not limited to using only one or two names for all the males in the story. In fact, it can be kind of confusing to have not two, but THREE characters in the story with the same first name. I know Charles is a nice name, but expand your repertoire just a bit.

2) Spellcheck, Honey! "Viranda," "pannel," "teaze," and "crape?" Come on. EVERYONE knows how to spell those words!

3) If you're going to spend pages talking about obsolete modes of transportation like barouches, curricles, chairs, chaises, gigs, and coaches, please have the courtesy to include pictures! Jeez.

4) You should probably not make up words. Unexeptionable? Michealmas? (Everyone knows it CHRISTmas!) Grappler? Worsting? Blains? I know you're trying to show how creative you are. But please, just use REAL words.

I did learn a few useful things though. For example:

A) "Underhung": having a projecting lower jaw. I am SO going to implement that in my vocabulary. I know a lot of people I could describe with this handy new word!

B) "Brawn": Don't confuse this with having muscle or with the paper towel brand. No, this is a tasty dish made from minced and molded meat from a pig's head. YUM! I know what's for dinner tonight!

C) "The gapes" : Fits of yawning. I'm totally going to get this phrase reintroduced into the common vernacular. I could have used it 5 or 6 times at church last Sunday alone!

So, Jane, there you go. A few bits of constructive criticism and a few complements just to keep you from getting too depressed and overanalizing your writing style. But I do hope you'll implement some of these things in your next book. Good luck!






Please know that I actually love Jane Austen. This post was totally written tongue-in-cheek. I swear if I get any comments informing me that blains is really a word, I will flip.